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How Much Do You Know About Autism?

Autism is a developmental disability that usually starts in early childhood. Because different children can have widely different symptoms, autism is called a "spectrum disorder." This means it is a group of disorders with similar features ranging from mild to serious. Find out more about autism by taking the following quiz.

1. A person with autism has difficulty interacting with others. Which of these is an example of this?

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People with autism often don't respond to others' emotions. They may not realize how their behavior affects others. They find it hard to interpret others' tone of voice or facial expressions. Children with autism often speak later than other children and have hearing problems. They may also rock, twirl their hair, or bang their heads over and over again. People with autism also don't feel pain as vividly as others. They may have an abnormal response to sounds or touch.

A. The person avoids looking at other people
B. The person seems unaware of others' feelings toward him or her
C. The person often doesn't respond to his or her name being spoken
D. All of the above

2. Autism varies widely in severity and symptoms. This makes it difficult to diagnose. Which of these behaviors should raise red flags for parents?

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You should have your child evaluated for autism right away if any of these symptoms are present. Other behaviors that should raise concerns include:

Possible deafness, or deafness that comes and goes

The child used to speak but now does not

The child doesn't smile when smiled at

The child throws intense temper tantrums

The child walks on his or her toes

A. The child does not babble or coo by 12 months of age
B. The child does not wave, point, grasp or make other gestures by 12 months of age
C. The child does not say single words by 16 months of age
D. All of the above

3. What causes autism?

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A number of genes appear to play a role in autism, as do environmental factors. Research has found brain abnormalities in people with autism. Neurons in the cerebellum, amygdala, hippocampus, septum, and mamillary bodies of autistic people are smaller than normal and have stunted nerve fibers. These changes may mean that something interfered with brain development of the fetus. Other studies have found problems with the signaling molecules in the brain of those with autism. Other disorders, including Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorder, often occur with autism but don't cause it. About a third of children with autism eventually develop epilepsy.

A. Mothers who don't bond with their newborn
B. A single gene on chromosome 12
C. Poor prenatal nutrition
D. There is no single cause of autism

4. Which vaccine has been falsely linked to autism?

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Although some parents believe that the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine caused their child's autism, no scientific proof has been found to back this up. The symptoms of autism often appear around the same time as the MMR vaccine is given. But that doesn't mean the vaccine has caused the autism. There is no scientific proof that any vaccine or combination of vaccines causes autism.

A. Polio
B. DTaP
C. Hepatitis B
D. MMR

5. Autism can be cured with:

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Autism has no cure. Behavioral therapy and medicine may help ease symptoms, however. In behavioral therapy, therapists work one-on-one with children to help them develop social and language skills. The earlier a child is helped with this therapy, the better the outcome. Medicine may be prescribed to ease troublesome behavior or other symptoms of autism. The medicine affects the levels of signaling chemicals such as serotonin in the brain.

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